What help us to know ourselves, what things are not helping factors, and how we can analyse ourselves from the outgoing faculties and intellect is a practical subject. This is truly called spirituality.

The single eye or third eye

Christ said that it is better to enter the world with one eye rather then two, which will cast you into hell. Everyone has got two eyes, which are open in the face. They have been working ever since birth. All through life we have been working at the level of the two eyes. About eighty percent of all impressions that are received from outside come through the eyes. Those who work only at the level of the two eyes receive either good impressions or bad impressions. Good impressions will react as good actions. Bad impressions will result in bad actions. The very impressions that are embedded in our heart will overflow. It is a very superficial life that we are living.

The Masters tell us that there is also another eye, called variously the third eye, the single eye or the shiv netra. Unless you open that third eye (which can be opened only while in the manbody), you are nowhere. It is the eye of the soul, not of the intellect nor the outgoing faculties. We are ensouled bodies, conscious entities, working through mind and outgoing faculties. That inner eye is opened when our soul, the outward expression of which is called attention, is withdrawn to the seat of the soul in the body, which is at the back of the two eyes. The attention is now working at the level of the eyes through the mind and outgoing faculties. We are identified with the body and we have forgotten ourselves. Unless that very attention is withdrawn from outside, and just extricated above the outgoing faculties, which end at the level of the eyes, we cannot know who we truly are. At the time of death you come up to this point.

Therefore it is said that "Those who are initiated into the Mysteries of the Beyond, their soul has the same experience of leaving the body and the outgoing faculties, as it has at the time of death". That eye opens when the attention is withdrawn from outside and then dragged up from the level of the outgoing faculties to the seat of the soul in the body, which is at the back of the two eyes. That is the place where man leaves the body at the time of death. Kabir says, "Just direct your attention to the seat above the outgoing faculties". When your attention reaches that point, your inner eye opens. The inner eye is within all. So that is why it is said that it is better to enter the world with one eye rather than two, which will cast you into hell.

This has now been explained to you very clearly. If you can do it yourself, well and good. If not, then seek the help of somebody who is competent to do it for you. Outward sadhana of japa and mantras and outward performances at the level of the outgoing faculties, anybody can preach with little effort. It is a fact, I would say, of withdrawing the attention from outside and dragging it above the eye level of the outgoing faculties, whereby the inner eye is opened. This eye is opened to see the God-into-Expression Power, which is Light and Sound Principle. To give you one illustration, when a hen sits over an egg, she produces heat within herself. This heat is conveyed to the egg and within the egg, the chicken is born. But the chicken is all hemmed in by the outer coverings of the shell. So the hen says, "Look here child, there is a very big sun outside, and there are fields and vales." The child says, "Mother, it might be so, but I am in all darkness". What does the hen do? She just gently taps on the shell with her beak until the egg bursts and the chicken is freed.

"If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of Light". You know what that means? It is a demonstration, a proof, that when the third eye opens, you see the Light of God within you. To give another illustration, suppose there are one hundred stairs in a house, and a man climbs thirty, forty, fifty, sixty stairs, but still he does not see any light. As he gets near to the roof, he sees flashes of light. When he gets to the top of the roof, he sees light. This is only a first step to show when the third eye is opened. This we can do only in the manbody, which we have got with the grace of God. When rain comes in torrents, it floods the whole world. Similarly, when the true Master comes, He brings with Him the Water of Life. I use the word ‘true', as there are so many ‘masters' flooding the world. They simply give you something at the level of the outgoing faculties. Their third eye is not opened and they cannot open the third eye of others. The greatness of a true Master lies in the fact that He has opened His inner eye and can also make others see. Our Master used to say, "Well, what is the use of giving the five names, five mantras, or any outward thing? That even a little girl spinning a wheel can tell you". The outward methods of performing a ritual anybody can do with a little training. But rising above body consciousness and opening the single eye, only a competent man can do. He will give you a sitting and after that you will see some Light. The more accurately you follow His instructions, the more Light you will see. Even a blind man has got the third eye. On my first tour to the West in 1955, I went to Los Angeles. During the meditation hour in the morning, a blind doctor was there and he was given a sitting and he saw Light. Masters give the eye to the blind man. In the eyes of the Masters, we are all blind. They see that our third eye is not open. Kabir says, "I see all are blind". Who is not blind? He who sees the Light of God within him, whose third eye is open. You follow me now, exactly what I mean to say? When Masters come they flood the world. Their rays pour down in torrents and the whole world is flooded with the Water of Life. Kabir says, "There is a flood of the Water of Life given out by the Masters. People may take away as much as they like".

When you leave the body at the time of death, you will simply repent. You should die while alive and this can only be done in the manbody and at the feet of a competent Master whose inner eye is opened and who can open the eye of others. Even the blind man has got the third eye. Those who do not see light outside see Light within when their inner eye has been opened. This eye is opened only when you rise above body consciousness. This is to be born anew. "Except ye be born anew, ye cannot enter the Kingdom of God." "Learn to die so that you may begin to live." At the time of death, your soul will be withdrawn from outside and from the outgoing faculties. It will come up to the seat of the soul at the back of the eyes. If this process is done while living, your inner eye is opened to see the Light beyond. All glory lies within you. So when the Masters come, there is a flood of Spirituality in the world. This is high time to take away as much as you can. This is the true wealth that you can gather while in the manbody. All other wealth is left here along with the body. When the Masters come they cry, "O people, now is the time. Make the best use of it. There is a flood of the Water of Life. Take as much as you can, it is all given free." Only a little devotion, a little receptivity is to be developed, whether you live near or far makes no difference whatsoever.

Why are we fortunate to have the manbody? It is because in the manbody only can we open that eye. When your eye is opened, you enjoy the Beyond while still living. You should graduate while you are here, then you remain the same graduate after living the body. If you are unlearned now, how can you become a graduate after leaving the body? Our Master always used to say, "Who becomes a learned man while in life remains learned even after leaving the body. Those who are illiterate here, how can they become educated afterwards?" You follow now, why so much praise is given to the Master. Not to the so-called masters, the world is flooded with them. If their own eyes are not opened, they cannot open the eyes of others. To go on in your present condition won't do. You will remain all along at the level of the eyes, or at the level of the outgoing faculties. So if you can rise above yourself, well and good. What more is required. If not, you can have the help of somebody whose eye is open and who gives you something to start with, some capital to see the Light of God. So you can now appreciate the beauty of the advice, "It is better to enter the world with one eye rather than two, which will cast you into hell".

When Masters come, they speak in their own language, but they say the same things. The whole world is at the level of feelings and emotions, or of drawing inferences at the level of the intellect. They have not seen. So feelings, emotions and drawing inferences are all subject to error, seeing is above all. Those who have seen say the same thing. That is why it is said, "Listen to the words of the Master. He says what He sees and He is competent to make others see". Books cannot explain these very few words, which are very simple, quite to the point and at a commonsense level. Our inner eye is closed but it is there and can be opened while in the manbody. Why can't we open it ourselves? Because our soul, combined with mind, has become a jiva, and by outward expressions through the outgoing faculties, it has become identified with the body and the world outside so much so that it has forgotten its true nature. If it continues for years and years all methods of outward worship and uses them for meditation at the level of the outgoing faculties, or at the level of the eyes, it cannot go up. If it can go up by its own efforts, well and good. Otherwise it should take the help of somebody whose inner eye is open and who is competent to open the inner eye of others.